Obituary of Josefina Morales

On October 13th, 1940, a true at heart island girl was born. Josefina Morales was born on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. She was raised by Pruda (Providencia) along with her other siblings Sira, David, Elias, Miriam, Fela, Johnny and Carlos. She attended school until about 3rd grade. She worked on the production line at National Packing, where they packaged tuna and other seafoods until she retired. She married Luis Cruz on December 18th, 1987. A matriarch in all of her glory as she walked through life deciding to start a family and give birth to three amazing boys, Hector, Jaime, and Edwin. She dedicated her life to helping her neighbors, strangers and always...family. She was the woman in the neighborhood people would feel safe going to for help or advice because she told it how it was. A lover of the truth and never afraid to speak it or live it. As we all do, she encountered life’s challenges and unlike most, she prevailed. Josefina Morales was a simple woman who loved to cook, put her toes in the sand, praise Jesus without any reservations and tell you the truth even when no one else wanted to utter it. She was an active member of her neighborhood church in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She is from where her children and grandchildren get their spunk and tenacity. From where her son, Edwin gets his huge heart. She taught all of us how to be givers. Josefina was a force of nature, a sunny day at the beach with the perfect breeze. She could also cause hurricanes to brew on the horizon, a tropical storm of flavor & oomph! Move with her or move out of the way. She knew what she wanted in life and always went after it. She lived in Ponce, Puerto Rico for most of her life, visiting her family on the northeast coast whenever she could. She lived with her eldest son, Hector, who cared for her in Puerto Rico when she became less capable, every day until he passed last year. She loved working with her hands and was the most skilled and craftiest person we knew. She could literally turn anything into a doll or a knick-knack for you to take home. Her son, Edwin and family decided to bring her closer to them in New Jersey after the passing of her first son, Hector in Puerto Rico. Her youngest son took on the responsibility of caring of her. She spent her final days in a nursing home with around the clock care. She was an amazing soul made of love, joy, nurture, and tenacity. She went home on Friday 26th, of June 2020. Funeral services will be held at the PADGETT FUNERAL HOME, 1107 State Highway 77, Upper Deerfield Twp. on Wednesday, July 1 at 11 AM. Interment will take place at Laurel Lawn Cemetery in Upper Deerfield Twp. Friends will be received at the funeral home from 10 AM to 11 AM prior to the services. Written condolences can be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.padgettfuenralhomes.com.